Semi-Auto Rifles: The "Range Toy" Lie?

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Going to buy our first AR today. (Dad and I have separate collections but do most of our shooting together) Most likely going to get a .22 conversion or the S&W version as a starter.

I'm no mall ninja, those guys are tools. I want a gun that I have thought of as something "cool" since I was very young. The good news is, unlike most things that are cool, the AR/AK/etc... are incredibly useful. If I were to discuss my reasons for buying one with anybody on this website, or any friends/family who are generally interested in guns and shooting sports, the conversation will be very different than if I'm talking to a stranger or someone who has some sort of motive behind asking me about it, they're going to get a short, simple response that I know they won't argue with.

Somebody else mentioned explaining a 4x4 to a guy driving a hybrid, why waste your breath? I'm not going to explain to a guy in a prius why its so nice to have 4-wheel drive, he'll figure it out in a week or two when it starts snowing. All I need to tell him is, "It's convenient and I use it for work" but if a friend asks why I chose a GMC instead of a Ford, Dodge etc, its a different conversation.
 
"Range Toy" Lie?

Let's see. My designated home defense weapons are .38 revolver and a 12ga pump shotgun. They are usually loaded and available for use.

I own as collector items and shoot in local military matches various semi-auto "assault weapons" as military range toys: original M1 Carbine, Mauser C96, replica Kalashnikov, Thompson TM1, etc. I use them as "range toys" not as weapons and that ain't no lie. If not at the range, they are unloaded, cleaned, oiled and packed away.
 
In response to the OP: Perhaps some people like to keep their personal reasons private and so they give a glib answer to deflect the conversation politely.
 
Honestly, I don't know how useful a non-carbine length rifle would be in close quarters. I plan on getting a mini-14 as its the largest rifle I can shoot at the local indoor range. I shoot well with them @ 25 meters and know that when it gets warmer again I can go outdoors with it.

As far as a deeper 'why', I do have an interest at trying three-gun, so it would seem that a mini-14 would be of use. Also, for CMP it would work as well. I'm not sure about hunting, I would probably want 'more' rifle for that application.

Pistol-caliber carbines are also something I have an interest in as the ammo is cheaper and the overall length makes it more useful for home defense.
 
Since I have had everything from low end entry level Bushmaster rifles, to the highest end Colts and a few other high end AR makers, like Wilson and so on I have noticed one thing. The main differences aren't noticable in accuracy, or reliability. They are in fit and finish and materials used to build the rifles. Shoot, an AR is such a design that IMHO it can be made out of cheaper parts and still function as designed. I personally have NEVER had one problem from the cheap 800 dollar off the shelf Bushmaster to the 2K Wilson AR or anything in between. IN FACT the most accurate AR rifle I ever had was an Olympic Arms AR. That thing was constantly under a 1/2moa rifle it's entire life and I put thousands of rounds thru it. On the part about antis and their in-sensabilities about "Assault weapons" they are just ignorant so I leave them alone about it unless they go shooting with me. Then they become shooters and gun owners.
 
Vartarg said:
I've got three, all used for hunting

.223

.204 Ruger

.17 Remington
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But here's the bigger question here: If all crap broke loose tomorrow and terrorists were running up the streets, would you just sit there and go: "Aw man! All I have are these hunting guns!"

The bigger point here is even if your gun is a true "range toy," every time you pull the trigger you are learning something. How does the gun recoil? Is it reliable? Can you control it during rapid fire? Is it to heavy? Does that extra attachment actually help at all or just add weight? Hey that was my 2000th shot! I wonder if it could do another 2000?

Whether people admit it or not, their "range toys" or "hunting guns" could serve another purpose really quickly. Maybe they did really buy that budget AR just for fun. But if it eats everything and puts holes close enough to where you aimed, there's absolutely no problem using that gun if an emergency came up.

Now the other side of this is that the people who want a crap hits the fan gun typically want a proven gun that could withstand prolonged torture and still work. There's nothing wrong with that, but when those few DD or Colt fanboys start harking on the guys with their lowly DPMS or Olympic Arms rifle, that's when the misunderstandings start showing.

Again, guns are purpose driven, but people figure out really quickly that their "fun gun" can do a couple other things too.
 
Ranger30-06 said:
But here's the bigger question here: If all crap broke loose tomorrow and terrorists were running up the streets, would you just sit there and go: "Aw man! All I have are these hunting guns!"
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Yup, that's what I'd do :) And I do know what I can do with my lowly old Hunting Guns :)

Since some can chamber military ammo, I'd be at the Armory asking for a can or two to back-fill my personal supply :)

Then I'd be back at my place doing whatever I needed to. Somehow I think 308 will reach out a bit further than 5.56? And since I'm not doing "door to door" at 60+ years, I'll be happier with a slower rate of fire and a scope :)
 
Unfortunately in our current culture, and even in the "gun culture," there are a lot of people who think that the prime rationale for the Second Amendment (which is to protect ourselves from tyranny) is not a legitimate reason to own a gun. Some people think hunting, punching paper, and maybe self defense are pretty much it.

I think some people try to appease these Fudds and speak in what they think would be less provocative terms. For instance, I see people use the term "self defense" rather broadly. Rather than say "I want a rifle to protect my liberty from anyone who might ever threaten it, including my own government," they might say "I want a rifle for self-defense, at up to 300 yards." Then you get the wisecracks about how difficult it would be to claim self defense at 300 yards, etc.

I am of the opinion that we shouldn't appease fudds... it only encourages them. We also shouldn't be ashamed for believing that maybe the founders were right and maybe an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure when it comes to something like tyranny. Sure it is a long shot that it will ever come to that... but I think that by having a populace that is armed and ready to face it if need be helps keep it a low-probability event! :)

Personally, I am proud to say that I have several "2A purpose" rifles, as well as some for self defense, some for hunting, and yes, even some pure "range toys." And yes, I agree with the OP on choosing quality firearms if there is a possibility of using it for any serious role.
 
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We also shouldn't be ashamed for believing that maybe the founders were right and maybe an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure when it comes to something like tyranny. Sure it is a long shot that it will ever come to that... but I think that by having a populace that is armed and ready to face it if need be helps keep it a low-probability event
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Absolutely!
 
I have rifles of more hi-cap, but at the range the sks is most fun to shoot. The only time I had the others at the range was to make sure they worked.
 
I am glad I can own all types of arms just because. If you don't like it screw you. I don't have to justify anything, or explain anything. Morons and liberals are poeple that want to judge others free choices and impinge on those freedoms. No one's rants will influence me whatsoever. You can like or think what you want, open your piehole to me about it, and I'll tell you what you can do about it.
 
For me it is ultimately all about money...

My opinion... most AR's are used as range toys. People buy them because they think they might be fun and they are. They buy them because they want a rifle for SHTF which in reality in most cases they would be arrested immediately if they used one for that purpose. They buy them because their friends or associates own them and talk them up. They seldom buy them for hunting, but may justify the purchase saying that or they claim the rifles are for home defense. Justify the purchase, ownership, and use anyway you want, but for most, they are range toys.

You spend $200 on ammo for part of a day shooting with the AR, I know I can't afford that and don't want to afford it. You shoot other stuff and the bill gets larger. Hence, I am much more interested in taking some time and shooting. You can do that with AR's, but the temptation is to let go with a 30 round mag... there went $15 or more... Reload, sure, but it is still expensive.

Full autos are even worse from a cost point of view.
 
Meh. I just don't get why people are so concerned with the "why?" does anyone have anything. I understand asking for "intended purpose" because it helps narrow down the manufacturers who cater to that purpose. Someone already mentioned "steering the witness" and I think it's unfair to hold someone as being dishonest or shifty because an AR has several applications and that a "range toy" is simply a dodge of the real reasons.

That's the line of thinking that gun controllers start down when presuming to know what they are talking about when wishing to ban magazines of a certain capacity or a type of gun based on its application as our battle rifle. Is it really that hard to believe that some people just really like guns?
 
Ive been wondering what the hood ornimant came off of ever since I was emailed these pictures. Maybe a 39 Buick
 
Nothing wrong with buying, owning, and shooting ARs (aka ebr's). It is just another rifle. I also mostly agree with Sniper X (#81) above. I say, if you want to do it; it's legal; and you can afford it. Go for it.
 
Why do EBR owners lie and call it a range toy?

Because "I bought it for when the blue helmeted Chinese paratrooper hurricane zombies invade" is a little too real, man. Where is my tin foil anyway?
 
Justin said:
Based on reading online forums and blogs, I'd say that I've seen the complete opposite. From what I've seen, most guys want to justify the purchase of an AR or similar rifle as something they can use for "SHTF" or other exceedingly low-probability events, when in all likelihood, the gun will be only used for occasional range sessions.

I find it kind of disheartening that so many people buy guns motivated out of a fear of low-probability events and then never really take the time to learn the joys of marksmanship.
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I do not understand your assertion that "SHTF" is a low probability event. No matter how one defines it "SHTF" has a high probability of occuring to any given family. If you define "SHTF" as a large scale event that affects entire communities, states, or nations, the reality is that history shows that both natural disasters and man made upheavals are regularly occurring events in our history. Everything from the Civil War to the civil rights movement entailed some "S" getting on someone, somewhere, somehow. Hurricane Katrina comes to mind as well.

One the very large scale, it is not a matter of if widespread human liberty will come crashing down, it is simply a matter of when. The irony is that perhaps the most effective means we have of postponing that eventuality is to keep arms and be skilled in their use.

On the small scale, the odds are that one of each 2 people will be victims of violent crime. When someone is breaking into my home, the "S" is hitting my fan and my rifle is a tool that I can use to direct said "S" away from my family.
 
I find it kind of disheartening that so many people buy guns motivated out of a fear of low-probability events and then never really take the time to learn the joys of marksmanship.
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I couldn't agree more. I just walked in from my 100 yd. range and shooting the very first AR I've ever owned; a home-build. With open sights, it's grouping 5 shots into 1 1/2" with ol' Serbian 55 gr. ammo. Immensely safisfying to me.
Occassionally I'll go to a public range and I have to shake my head at the guys firing their AK's and AR's at the 25 or 50 yd. range. They really have no idea if or how well their rifles shoot. Their criteria seems to be inexpensive ammo in a rifle that feeds well.

35W
 
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